Bang Bang Racing

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Digital Reality

Bang Bang Racing, at first glance, looks like a racing game that I would absolutely love. It has a perspective from up top, like many of the retro racing games I love, and it has unique tracks to race on with plenty of shortcuts and alternate routes to take advantage of, like many of the arcade racing games I love. Unfortunately, while I enjoy Bang Bang Racing to a degree, it's proof to the rule that just because you love two different things, it doesn't mean they go together. I love chocolate and comfortable shoes, for example, but if I combined the two, I'd have a pretty big mess. The downside to the top-down perspective combined with the hidden shortcuts is that you don't have to discover them…they're pretty obvious, oftentimes even having tire marks to essentially spell it out for you that you're looking at a shortcut. The fun in having hidden shortcuts in a racing game is that they're hidden, and you find it just by goofing around in the game. When they're obvious, it's not really a hidden shortcut…it's a faster alternate route at that point. When they’re just there like that, it takes some of the fun away. That's a minor gripe, though. I'm also not really a fan of the controls. They feel too loose, so the result is that it takes a while to feel like you really have control of the car. The controls feeling a bit loose and sloppy isn't just about staying on the track, though - the computer-controlled cars act so odd that you need tighter controls to simply avoid them otherwise you'll probably see yourself in a pileup during a turn. Control complaints aside, Bang Bang Racing is still a decent racing game. It's got enough positives that I think most racing fans will enjoy it, but not enough to fully make up for some of its negatives.

Review added: 08/14/2022

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Rocksteady Studios

Batman: Arkham Asylum was a fantastic game that put Rocksteady Games on the map. In fairness, though, it essentially felt like someone took a Legend of Zelda game and re-skinned it with Batman characters...obtaining various gadgets to help you get through the various buildings (dungeons), eventually leading up to a battle against the usual main antagonist that hinders your progress, which in Batman’s universe, that’d be ol’ Joker taking the role of Gannondorf. But that formula works really well here and the end result is a fantastic Batman game that I think anyone would enjoy. If you’re obsessed with Batman, I think you’ll love it. If you know nothing about Batman, I think you’ll like it, too. If you’re like me and know a little bit about Batman and the cast of characters that appear in the comic books, but is by no means an expert, then you’ll like it, too. It’s a very solid game and has held up pretty well over the years. If you haven’t played it yet, give it a try. You’ll be glad you did.

Review added: 10/22/2021

Batman: Arkham City

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Rocksteady Studios

After the success of Batman: Arkham Asylum, Rocksteady Games decided to continue on with the formula found there, but expand the world from a small area around an asylum to an entire city. It’s basically the same game as Arkham Asylum, but on a larger scale and with plenty of new villains to join in with some returning ones. It’s not necessarily a bad thing to deliver more of the same in this case, mind you. I finished Arkham Asylum wishing that there was more, and I got more here. Unfortunately, that’s where Arkham City dropped the ball, in my opinion. When I saw the credit rolls for Arkham Asylum, I wanted to play some more. By the time Arkham City was over, I was content for it to be over. Even with the inclusion of Catwoman as a playable character (in DLC form) to give a new spin on the gameplay and new areas of the world to explore, I just didn’t have the desire to continue playing this after I completed the final battle like I did with Rocksteady’s initial Batman game. Still, a game doesn't ALWAYS have to leave you wanting more, and Arkham City didn't overstay its welcome for me. Overall, I enjoyed the game as a whole and if you enjoyed kicking the teeth out of bad guys in Arkham Asylum, then you’ll likely feel the same way about Arkham City.

Review added: 12/31/2021

Bellator: MMA Onslaught

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Kung Fu Factory

Supposedly this was nominated by Neoseeker to be the Best Sports Game and Best Fighting Game at E3 one year…That makes me glad that I don't get any information of any kind from Neoseeker. The only thing that Bellator: MMA Onslaught is the best at is it's the best Bellator game…because there has never been another one since that I’m aware of. If this was a good game that had success, you'd imagine it would have gotten a sequel in the last decade, eh? Anyway, Bellator is basically a poor clone of the original Ultimate Fighting Championship game. I say a poor clone because the gameplay really isn't anything special. If it was the only MMA game ever released, I'd probably be a little more lenient with my score…but several solid MMA games have been released before and since, and Bellator's bland combat simply doesn't match up with those other games very well. Besides the combat, the game modes are also lacking. Essentially, they're the same modes as found in the original UFC games…released over a decade before this game came out. Even if the combat was the greatest ever seen in an MMA game, there's not enough content to keep anyone entertained for more than a few minutes at most. Bellator: MMA Onslaught isn't the worst fighting game or even the worst MMA game ever made, but it still lacks gameplay and content to be a passable game. Instead of an Onslaught, this is more of a Yawnslaught.

Review added: 08/14/2022

BioShock 2

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: 2K Marin

I feel like I owe BioShock 2 an apology. Since it originally came out, I simply was never a fan…I even rushed through my original (and only, until this review) playthrough because I just wasn't enjoying myself. I think it's largely because I loved the original BioShock, and so much of what made that game special is missing here. You won't hear vending machines talk to you…I found myself feeling the need to mock myself when I ran out of cash with, "Come back when you've got some money, buddy…hahahahaha." It sounds like a mild complaint, but things like that make the game feel like this version of Rapture lost so much personality. That lack of personality, and the segments where you protect Little Sisters as they gather Adam, made me really not like this game at all when it first hit store shelves. However, now that I've played through it again, and having much lower expectations for it, I can honestly say that I mostly enjoyed my time playing BioShock 2. I enjoyed it enough, where I actually picked up quite a few trophies that I had missed while rushing through my first playthrough back in 2010. The parts where you protect the Little Sisters didn't feel like nearly as much of a chore for me this time around, either…I actually had fun setting up traps everywhere to see if I could provide as little firepower as possible before my little friend finished gathering her Adam. The game also has more personality than I had initially given it credit for…you just need to look for it. Still, though, BioShock 2 is not at the level of the original (or of BioShock Infinite, for that matter) but if you go in, not expecting it to be the same quality as the other two games in the series, you'll probably find a solid shooter that you'll find some enjoyment in. I just wish I had seen it that way when this first came out.

Review added: 04/15/2025

Bomberman Ultra

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Hudson

Bomberman Ultra is one of my favorite games in the Bomberman franchise. It lacks a single player mode (aside from playing deathmatches against AI-controlled opponents) but it sucked more hours of my life away than just about any other game in the series, with the only exception being Saturn Bomberman. I have fond memories playing this game online a decade ago, which speaks volumes since I tend to dislike and avoid most online gameplay. While I was never particularly good, especially against many of the pros that I was sometimes pitted against, I still managed to eke out some victories here and there. I often avoid online gameplay with games because there are a lot of folks that cheat and/or find enjoyment in tormenting folks that don’t spend every waking moment playing a specific game. In Bomberman Ultra, wins and losses all seemed fair and the community all seemed to be folks that simply just wanted to have fun blowing each other up. While a single-player mode would have helped the longevity of this being fun, the game was just done well enough that even being multi-player only, I found myself putting way more hours into this than I had originally thought I would have.

Review added: 04/19/2020

Borderlands

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Gearbox Software

Borderlands is a first-person shooter that dabbles in aspects that you'd find in an RPG, like leveling up, hit points, and finding loot...lots of loot. Add in some charming cel-shaded graphics and you've got yourself a charming little game that can appeal even to folks who aren't big first-person shooter fans. Also nice are the four characters to play as, with each character specializing in a specific play style. Whether you're into melee attacks, stealth, sniping, or plain ol' run and gun action, this game has you covered. The game also has plenty of humor and personality (though I absolutely LOATHE the clap traps…some of the most annoying game characters I’ve ever come across) scattered between all the action, making this a very solid overall package that's fun to play co-op with a few friends or even just by your lonesome. If you’ve never given any Borderlands game a try, I definitely recommend the first one – you’ll see why it started a franchise that continues to thrive to this day.

Review added: 04/07/2020

Borderlands 2

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Gearbox Software

Borderlands 2 is a weird game, in my opinion. It seems to have been more critically liked than the first one…but, I personally liked the first one a lot better. I’ll get one of my biggest issues out of the way first - the dang Claptrap. I loathed the Claptrap in the first game…somehow, they managed to make it even more obnoxious and annoying in this game. To make matters worse, they tease in the beginning of the game that they killed the little pest off...and then they just revive him. There’s a trophy for high-fiving a clap trap…needless to say, I will never get 100% trophy completion for this game. That little rant out of the way, and Claptrap aside, I can’t fully put my finger on why, but I just couldn’t get into this game for most of it. The first several hours felt like they dragged on for me. Then I hit a spot in the middle of the game where I was really enjoying everything as a whole and trying to complete every side mission thrown at me…and then by the end, I was back to feeling like the game was dragging and I skipped most of the later game missions just so I could see the credits roll and get this over with. Another complaint is the random deaths I suffered - I literally died from walking on solid ground that the game thought was the edge of a cliff. I also died when walking between two containers…because containers are dangerous? Complaints aside, despite the fact that I didn’t really care for it in comparison to the first game, Borderlands 2 isn’t a bad game. It’s still a solid shooter with mostly solid humor, and some awful humor tossed in (but hey, you can’t win ‘em all when it comes to comedy), and the gameplay that made the first game such a hit. If you liked the original, you’ll find enough here to make this worth playing, too…But you may also wind up like me, and enjoy yourself to a degree, but find yourself rushing to the end just to complete the game.

Review added: 12/31/2021

Burn Zombie Burn

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Doublesix

Burn Zombie Burn is an odd game…it seems like it should naturally be a twin-stick shooter…but instead it’s a single-stick shooter, and I feel like it suffers as a result. Basically, your goal is to run around and shoot at stuff. The problem is that you can only fire in the direction that you’re facing. When you’re surrounded by swarms of zombies, the ability to stand in one place and fire your weapon in 360 degrees would be nice. Or even to walk away from zombies while firing at them…but in Burn Zombie Burn, if you’re shooting and moving, you’re moving towards the zombies that you should be trying to move away from. But anyway, once you get past the odd design choice, Burn Zombie Burn is still a mildly fun 3rd-person shooter. It’s not a great game, but if you’re bored and want to kill (pun intended) a few minutes, Burn Zombie Burn will likely do the trick.

Review added: 04/21/2020

Burnout Paradise

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Criterion Games

Burnout Paradise is one of my favorite racing games to come out in over a decade…It’s insane that as I type this it’s been 12 years since the game was first released. I’m becoming an old geezer, aren’t I? Anyway, in the Elder Scrolls games, I like to spend a lot of time just wandering around to see what I can find. I can lose hours doing that and not actually advancing the story. Burnout Paradise allows me to do the same thing, except I’m driving a car instead of marching around the wilderness with an axe in my hands. When I don’t feel like driving around and exploring the streets, I’m free to participate in various races and such…it’s basically the best of the previous Burnout games, with some freedom to roam around interesting environments, and even plenty of “collectables” to hunt for if you want to add some goals to your wandering. While I do prefer a few other racing games to this one, Burnout Paradise still holds a special place in my heart if for no other reason that I can randomly start up the game, do absolutely nothing to advance the game in any way, and kill a few hours of time anyway…while loving every second of it.

Review added: 03/30/2020